If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Booyaka, Booyaka! Rey Mysterio thread

Based on his last few TV appearances, like at the Royal Rumble and various New Japan events, he still looks like he has some mileage left in the tank and will undoubtedly be a welcome addition. I'm sure he's still a huge draw around the country as well so this is a great get for the WWE if he stays healthy.

Given that there's a slew of new faces since the last time he was in the WWE, who are you all looking to see Rey face? I'd love to see him on the Smackdown side of things since there's a lot of amazing matches just waiting to happen: AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, Shinsuke Nakamura, the list goes on. Even feuds with old foes like Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy would be pretty awesome.

Rey vs Nakamura is set for next week already which is pretty tidy, to do with the World Cup.

Honestly, I think Rey might have just needed the break from WWE. He looks leaner and faster than he had for years from what I've seen of him. Rey vs Joe looks fun on paper, gets Joe the chance to just be a monster throwing around a small guy. Rey vs AJ - have those two ever met? Would be interesting to see how that goes. Same goes for Rey vs Bryan, I'm not sure whether they've ever had a decent length match.

But yeah, totally into this return. Feels like the right time for him. Top of my list is Rey vs Almas, because lord knows the latter could do with that rub.

Very much hope WWE doesn't expect him to work a full time house show schedule, as it seems that's what really wrecked him for a while in the early 10s.

I've enjoyed his work a lot in the last couple years and there's no doubt his name value to WWE is gonna be huge. Think he's gonna have some barn burners before he hangs it up. Him vs. Nak in 2015/16 sounds like an incredible dream match, should still be good now depending on how much Nak shows up.

LOL... I've been saying Rey vs Almas for months. But I want Almas to unmask him. Not this Wrestlemania, but put this feud in the back burner, build Almas some more, and next year, have Almas unmask him at Wrestlemania! I want this SO BAD I can taste it!!!

Is it common for a luchadore to completely change their character when they’ve been unmasked? ‘Cause Rey definitely did that back in the day, but he seemed to be “himself” when he first came to the ‘E and had the mask back. (Also... is it normal to put the mask back on if you change companies?) I seem to remember Juventud and Pyschosis going through similar character changes after losing their masks, as well.

While in Juvi and Psychosis case, they lost their mask on WCW, which was done without honor. Same with Rey. Rey was given permission to put back on the mask. Juvi and Psychosis both shifted their characters to modernized, which was fine. But usually you really only lose you mask if you're at the end of your career. Many when they lose their mask basically stay the same, just without a mask. They may become more themselves, but especially in AAA, they pretty much are the same, just maskless. Normally though you don't out on your mask, or at least the same mask. L.A. Park (original La Parka) had a whole different gimmick, then lost his mask. Once he joined AAA, they gave him the new mask of La Parka, and the rest is history. So it really changes depending on each wrestler and what's better for them.

Could you further explain the “without honor”? From what I remember, and correct me if I’m wrong... Jericho was going through the luchadores at the time. That’s where Juvi and Psychosis lost their masks. (I don’t quite remember how Rey lost his...) Jericho being the awesome heel he was... was collecting trophies at the time. How would a face luchadore standing up to the evil heel and losing his mask be considered “without honor”?

Usually the Lucha de Apuestas match is reserved for the end of a long feud in which two hated enemies go at each other and the loser must take off his mask. If they already lost their mask, then they shave their hair. It's the ultimate insult match, and is usually the main event of any card it's on. WCW bastardized the concept by having Jericho just unmask luchadors, but at least it's Jericho who wrestled in Mexico and understands the culture and importance. But WCW didn't handle it the way it should have. Rey lost his mask to Kevin Nash, and it was the most fucked up way to lose his mask. In a tag team match, and then he was mocked afterwards. Many times, after removing the mask, the wrestler is able to say their name, and give a short speech.

Here is Andrade "Cien" Almas losing his mask in CMLL just before signing with WWE. Now normally a popular luchador like La Sombra wouldn't lose his mask at this point in his career, but he was leaving to WWE, so before he left, he lost his mask to a legend in Atlantis. La Sombra was a hated heel in Mexico, but even he was treated with respect at the end. Hell, Konnan, when he lost his mask, it's the moment he turned face, or Technico in Mexico, because of the sympathy.

There have been quite a few cases where a luchador loses his mask earlier in his career though, especially if he's a good looking guy under the hood. Volador Jr and Hijo del Fantasma (King Cuerno) are recent examples, plus lesser ones like Niebla Roja and Angel del Oro. But yeah, all were built up much more significantly than Juvi and Psicosis, who just one day lost their mask rather suddenly. Juvi I didn't think was actually done THAT badly, they built up his feud with Jericho decently, but it would have been a much bigger deal in Mexico.

He asked the Lucha Libre commission in Mexico, which is a committee of luchadors who are well respected and test luchadors before they go out and perform. When someone asked Meltzer he said "There's no official reason other than the strict rules of the past aren't strict anymore." What was rumored was the commission was mad WCW took such liberties with the mask and it was sort of a protest vote to allow Rey to get his mask back. Lots of fans in Mexico were upset at first because it killed tradition.

Rey was actually not going to wear the mask in WWE initially and didn't wear the mask even after leaving WCW (if you watch Rey's brief CMLL run in 2002 you will see he's not wearing the mask). He only put it back on because that's what Vince wanted; it's possible Vince wouldn't have even signed him otherwise. The lucha libre commission did agree to it because of how WCW handled Rey's unmasking but it got him a lot of backlash from fans. Lucha libre tradition is that once you're unmasked you stay unmasked, unless you go through a gimmick change (as LWO pointed out this was what happened with LA Park; he went under a certain name to start his career, lost his mask, and then got another mask when he became La Parka. Absimo Negro is another great example of this). Rey didn't so that's what he got the backlash. That and the fact that the lucha libre commissions are...let's just say not entirely on the up and up

Having said all this I'm not sure Rey can lose the mask again. It was certainly something Vince wanted to do when Caristico was still on board as Sin Cara; I seem to recall he wanted Caristico to beat Mysterio at Wrestlemania in a mask match in order to set some sort of record for "the most masks in one area" or some shit (it still gets me that Vince never got to do that and then immediately AAA just upped and did it at that shitty Triplemania. Good on them because that match was terrific, as mizfan will also attest). But when I was chatting with some people in the know about Mysterio potentially dropping the mask to Psycho Clown, Pentagon or someone AAA related (which was at least in the works before he re-signed) it was indicated to me Mysterio couldn't actually lose the mask again because he already lost it. He pretty much has to keep the mask on now or who knows (again, the lucha commission is shady as fuck). It's possible it doesn't apply to the US and Vince does what he wants anyway, so it definitely could happen. But it's something to keep an eye on. In any event, while I'm sure Rey will feud with Sombra, I doubt it be for Rey's mask. Sombra, as LWO pointed out, lost his mask awhile ago and the whole concept behind Rey and Caristico in WWE was that both masks would be on the line. Sombra wouldn't fit that concept. Frankly no luchador in developmental (Raul "Ronnie" Mendoza or Ultimo Ninja) fit that criteria, so it's not going to happen unless WWE decides to finally strap the rocket to Gran Metalik. Excuse me while I go laugh to hold back the tears.

You heard Rey can't lose his mask? Really? I mean I don't have sources in Mexico, so I guess there's that. It's also funny that once Vince thought he had his next Rey, he was ready to take Rey's mask off. I never thought it was a good idea to take Rey's mask with Sin Cara I, or II for that matter. He can still do the world's largest mask record though. But that's interesting they wouldn't let him lose his mask again.

I know that there have been many, many hair vs. mask matches in the past. What I was thinking, (because I've been fantasy booking in my head for a long time) was that Almas, NEXT YEAR, after a year of build, finally challenges Rey. I'd even use Kalisto eventually as fodder to Almas's push, by having him rip off his mask. Eventually reveal that Almas is still pissed about not coming to WWE with a mask (hey, it's a work), and not making all that money selling a mask. Eventually Rey saves Kalisto, and this leads to a build of Rey vs. Almas that leads to Wrestlemania is 2020 (whatever number that is, I don't keep track anymore0, and it ends with Almas beating Rey. And do it lucha style, Rey gives a speech, and then hands the mask to Almas, have Almas be emotional too, the two hug and start a slow Almas face turn (as he really didn't do heel things in the feud other than rip Kalisto's mask off, but do people really care about Kalisto?). Rey goes back to doing what he does, or retiring, or training his son, Almas then gets pushed as a Latino babyface and they use him to promote in Mexico and other Latin American countries, Kalisto can still floss and will still be my son's favorite wrestler because of the floss, and everybody wins.

Damn this thread is very enlightening, one thing I learnt at least 'without honour = Vince Russo".

Is be totally down for that angle with Almas, can you imagine how cool if he spotted some of Mysterio' s iconography into his gear, I'm thinking the crosses, etc.

I'm excited Rey is back and in possibly the best shape he had been in for at least 10 years. As a 205 Live fan of lobe to see him make a guest appearance on it and wrestle a match with whoever is champ or to build up Ali as the next big face. Probably won't happen but a man can dream.

If nothing else hopefully he is back on weekly TV, would be a shame if he ended up with the crappy party timer deal where they only show up to wrestle once in a blue moon.

Damn this thread is very enlightening, one thing I learnt at least 'without honour = Vince Russo".

Is be totally down for that angle with Almas, can you imagine how cool if he spotted some of Mysterio' s iconography into his gear, I'm thinking the crosses, etc.

I'm excited Rey is back and in possibly the best shape he had been in for at least 10 years. As a 205 Live fan of lobe to see him make a guest appearance on it and wrestle a match with whoever is champ or to build up Ali as the next big face. Probably won't happen but a man can dream.

If nothing else hopefully he is back on weekly TV, would be a shame if he ended up with the crappy party timer deal where they only show up to wrestle once in a blue moon.

He could wind up with a special appearance on 205. If he's around on Tuesday nights anyway...

He could wind up with a special appearance on 205. If he's around on Tuesday nights anyway...

You can't tease me like that.

In my mind he gets in the mic, says people call him the greatest cruiser weight ever but he wants to test himself against..... 'the heart of 205 Live' and Ali's music hits. Ali makes it out to be a huge honor and manages to beat Rey gets up and they hold each other's hands up, all that pagentary.

Hell if they don't want him doing it on 205 then why not make a big deal of it and put it on Smackdown? Point is he could be a way for someone like Ali to get some name value outside the 205 Live show. It could be Buddy or Gulack too, I'm just high on Ali.

The Andrade stuff has been pretty great. Check that out if you can, Prime.

Seems like he's slotting into a bit of a 'good hand' lower upper carder at the moment, and they're probably trying to use him to elevate Andrade up to give Smackdown a secondary top heel that isn't Shane McMahon.